Controversial and disagreed on, to say the least, he and his show became an icon. Even though it peaked around 1997-99, it's still on and semi successful today.

Just wondered what everyone's thoughts -- good or bad -- on it are/were?

Normally, I'd not admit this to many people (even then), but a few years ago at the height of its popularity, I got really into it. Not because of the reasons many people were fan (the fights or Too Hot For TV material), but I more liked hearing everyone's stories. In fact, I kinda got annoyed at the constant yelling and fighting sometimes, just because it took away from the airtime we were able to hear the story! ;)

As for Jerry himself, I think the show gives him an automatic bad rap at times. As apparent from interviews, his book, Final Thoughts etc, he's a very intelligent and nice man, simply with a good sense of humor about everything. His background was also a bit different, having been a Cincinatti mayor and a news anchor/commontator.

The show is SO fake....it's the same thing every episode...."my boyfriend is sleeping with my mom"...etc....and then the two broads come out and start clawing at each other...there is no substance at all to that show. I have watched probably 1 episode in it's entirety....usually I see it while I am flipping through channels....but I never stop and watch it.



Erin :)

Is his show still going?  I haven't seen it in about 5 years.  It left my cable system and never returned  :\'(

ya know...another one that is on the lines of Jerry Springer nowadays is Maury Povich.  He used to have somewhat decent shows years ago...and now...everytime I flip through...his show is the same topic....."paternity tests"......that is SO lame!




Erin :)

Yeah I got sick of it after a year or two because of all the "I was born a man" transgender stories. ;D

I guess I more got into it because 90's talkshows like Montel, Maury and Ricki Lake were kinda the natural precursor to this - I watched those alot, especially Ricki.

In the 80's, it was pretty much strictly "laid back/issues-oriented" shows, such as Phil Donahue. The Ricki-esque ones were middle ground (appealing to a younger audience, but featuring a mix of serious issues too).

Ironically, the current "Jerry" show began as a serious show, but a few years later, not only were the ratings heavily slipping, but a fight broke out from some KKK situation I believe. Since the ratings jumped way up, his producers decided to aim it younger.

Yeah, what the hell happened to Maury Povich?  His show is becoming like a Jerry Springer clone.  I still think Maury is a good host, but his show is getting so out of control

Yeah, what the hell happened to Maury Povich?  His show is becoming like a Jerry Springer clone.  I still think Maury is a good host, but his show is getting so out of control



I know!! I used to like when he had topics like, make-overs, or reunion shows, etc...but now...EVERY episode is about paternity tests....and they have a girl on there who has tested like 10 guys and none of them are the "baby's daddy"...and she keeps coming back to test more guys......pathetic! ::)




Erin :)

Yeah, what the hell happened to Maury Povich?  His show is becoming like a Jerry Springer clone.  I still think Maury is a good host, but his show is getting so out of control


I wonder if it's a similar thing that's happened with music and movies in recent years -- maybe the "serious" shows just won't generate interest anymore, so they have to make it like that?

Dr. Phil would kinda be the closest modern equivalent of that, though. I've grown to like him.

I remember how it if you watched Jerry Springer back in 1996/1997, it suddenly made you really cool

I would sometimes tune in when I would stay home from school sick back around 1996, and then I started watching it alot more around 1998/1999

I know!! I used to like when he had topics like, make-overs, or reunion shows, etc...but now...EVERY episode is about paternity tests....and they have a girl on there who has tested like 10 guys and none of them are the "baby's daddy"...and she keeps coming back to test more guys......pathetic! ::)




Erin :)


Even ones like "My daughter wants to be a hooker" or "My 17-year old son is in love with a 40 year old woman".  I mean that's not quality TV at all.  I miss the early days of Maury  :\'(

I wonder if it's a similar thing that's happened with music and movies in recent years -- maybe the "serious" shows just won't generate interest anymore, so they have to make it like that?

Dr. Phil would kinda be the closest modern equivalent of that, though. I've grown to like him.



it seems like Montel's format has changed some too.  He seems to feature the psychic Sylvia Browne, like all the time now.  I like when he has shows that talk about different crimes, things like that...and I don't mind an occasional Sylvia episode...but she is on there ALL the time now.



Erin :)

I didn't know Montel was still on either

All the channels I get are removing alot of these daytime talk shows from their line-ups.  Does Ricki Lake still have a show?  They took that show out of my cable well over 6 years ago

I didn't know Montel was still on either

All the channels I get are removing alot of these daytime talk shows from their line-ups.  Does Ricki Lake still have a show?  They took that show out of my cable well over 6 years ago




no, Rikki quit her show some years ago. I used to really like her show a lot..she used to have some very colorful topics. Remember Jenny Jones?




Erin :)

it seems like Montel's format has changed some too.  He seems to feature the psychic Sylvia Browne, like all the time now.  I like when he has shows that talk about different crimes, things like that...and I don't mind an occasional Sylvia episode...but she is on there ALL the time now.



Erin :)


That's funny - I haven't watched Montel in ages, didn't even know it was still on.

I also liked what he had to say about the issues too - struck me as a fun guy but really smart and caring too.

As for Sylvia, the first time I saw her was on there, about 7 years back. Since I have an open mind about these things, I found what she had to say pretty interesting. But I agree, to have nothing but that would get old, LOL!

no, Rikki quit her show some years ago. I used to really like her show a lot..she used to have some very colorful topics. Remember Jenny Jones?




Erin :)


I remember Jenny Jones.  I used to really like her show

One I really liked was Geraldo.  That one episode where he got hit with a chair was excellent  ;D

no, Rikki quit her show some years ago. I used to really like her show a lot..she used to have some very colorful topics. Remember Jenny Jones?




Erin :)


Since that was the first talk show I watched, I do have a little emotional attachment to it, LOL! I was sad when it went off the air a year or two back. If ever there was a perfect balance between serious and silly shows, that would be it.

I tended to watch it more around 1995. What was it like in the recent years? From what I've seen, even in the "Jerry-esque" peak of talkshows, she never lost sight of why she started doing the show, or helping people.

I remember Jenny Jones.  I used to really like her show

One I really liked was Geraldo.  That one episode where he got hit with a chair was excellent  ;D



I think after the whole situation of whenever one of Jenny's male guests murdered another male guest for having "feelings for him"......her show went totally downhill.


on a lighter note....do you remember Rude Jude....who was featured on her show all the time? I wonder what ever became of him? ;D



Erin :)

Holy Moses, this Thread is Hoppin'!

I've never seen so many replies to a thread on this board in so little time

Holy Moses, this Thread is Hoppin'!

I've never seen so many replies to a thread on this board in so little time


You need to visit the Playful Penguin Place.  Several threads in there can each reach over 50 posts in just 5 minutes  ;D

I think after the whole situation of whenever one of Jenny's male guests murdered another male guest for having "feelings for him"......her show went totally downhill.


on a lighter note....do you remember Rude Jude....who was featured on her show all the time? I wonder what ever became of him? ;D



Erin :)


You'll have to refresh my memory - I clearly recall the name Rude Jude and seeing him before, but totally forget details of him or what he was like. ;D

Rude Jude now works as co-host of a radio show on Sirius Satellite Radio.  I'm not sure what it's called though

You'll have to refresh my memory - I clearly recall the name Rude Jude and seeing him before, but totally forget details of him or what he was like. ;D




Rude Jude's real name is...Jude Angelini.  He would be on the show and say rude things to guests to get the audience going.

Here he is pictured with a guest from the show:
http://rds.yahoo.com/S=96062883/K=rude+jude/v=2/SID=e/TID=I056_77/l=IVI/SIG=120pm176r/EXP=1129652472/*-http%3A//tattoosbysean.com/lori__rude_jude.jpg


He kinda reminded me of Eminem...I guess by his looks and demeanor.



Erin :)

^ Oh yeah, now I remember him.

I thought he was a jerk originally, but I sorta assumed it was meant as an act. Not that he wasn't being real, but that the purpose of him being on the show was to be shocking.

P.S. My fave Jenny Jones shows were the "showing the bullies from my school that I'm ALL THAT" ones. ;)

^ Oh yeah, now I remember him.

I thought he was a jerk originally, but I sorta assumed it was meant as an act. Not that he wasn't being real, but that the purpose of him being on the show was to be shocking.

P.S. My fave Jenny Jones shows were the "showing the bullies from my school that I'm ALL THAT" ones. ;)



oh yes...the infamous...."geek to chic" episodes...those were great! I love how they would burst out of a blown-up picture of themselves when they were "nerdy".  Did you ever realize that the majority of the geeks who turned "hot" ended up either being a stripper or a transvestite? LOL!


Erin :)

oh yes...the infamous...."geek to chic" episodes...those were great! I love how they would burst out of a blown-up picture of themselves when they were "nerdy".  Did you ever realize that the majority of the geeks who turned "hot" ended up either being a stripper or a transvestite? LOL!


Erin :)


Alot of the time, yeah. That's the one thing I didn't like - to me, I never considered that kinda thing "hot" (just being yourself is far more attractive, IMO), but maybe it's a natural reaction upon being picked on for so long, to run to the other extreme.

I did like seeing the jerks get their revenge though, lol. Alot of these were like 30 and 35 year old guys who still acted like obnoxious and everything.

Alot of the time, yeah. That's the one thing I didn't like - to me, I never considered that kinda thing "hot" (just being yourself is far more attractive, IMO), but maybe it's a natural reaction upon being picked on for so long, to run to the other extreme.

I did like seeing the jerks get their revenge though, lol. Alot of these were like 30 and 35 year old guys who still acted like obnoxious and everything.



ya I feel the same way...infact, the "before" pictures, IMO, were a lot of the times more attractive than the "after" pictures.  When they were "nerdy"....they were a lot nicer...then they got big heads.


yes, it was good to see the jerks "getting theirs"....and yes, they usually never changed....still the same idiot from way back when.



Erin :)

ya I feel the same way...infact, the "before" pictures, IMO, were a lot of the times more attractive than the "after" pictures.  When they were "nerdy"....they were a lot nicer...then they got big heads.

They should've all been more like George McFly. ;)

Seriously though, I never understood the whole "high school clique" thing in that regard. Both in movies/TV as well as real life, it seems alot of the outsiders or the so-called less attractive "kids" are far cooler and more attractive than the jerks who made fun of them are.

They should've all been more like George McFly. ;)

Seriously though, I never understood the whole "high school clique" thing in that regard. Both in movies/TV as well as real life, it seems alot of the outsiders or the so-called less attractive "kids" are far cooler and more attractive than the jerks who made fun of them are.



that is SO true....even now.  When I was in high school the "nerdy" kids were always the nicest, easy going people...while the "popular" kids were usually very stuck up and most of the time, not even as attractive as they thought they were.



Erin :)

I just caught the Jerry Springer show this morning.  It's gotten even stupider.  They don't even have chairs anymore.  The people come out and argue back and forth.  Then you hear a bell ding, then the guests go at it with the fighting, while the audience chants some different phrase each time  ::)

How does Jerry get guests on his show?   Anyone here remember Donahue or Morton Downey Jr. ?

I used to watch Jerry Springer all the time.  I watched it back when they showed the fights in all their hilarious glory.  My favorite episode was when they had the KKK, the Nation of Islam and Jews for Jesus on the show and Jerry had the stones to go on stage and tell everyone not to fight.

I know!! I used to like when he had topics like, make-overs, or reunion shows, etc...but now...EVERY episode is about paternity tests....and they have a girl on there who has tested like 10 guys and none of them are the "baby's daddy"...and she keeps coming back to test more guys......pathetic! ::)




Erin :)


I also miss the kids behaving badly topics